Some VIP shoppers commented on the "high-quality material" of the "elegant, sophisticated" shoes

Published November 30, 2018•Updated on November 30, 2018 at 9:42 am

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, File

Payless taught fashion influencers a lesson about shoes by opening a fake store that sold Main Street kicks at Madison Avenue prices.

Payless ShoeSource held a fake launch party in Santa Monica, California, for the bogus label "Palessi" and invited fashionistas to sample the seemingly expensive merchandise. The VIP shoppers paid as much as $645 for shoes that sell from $19.99 to $39.99 at Payless.

Payless posted a video of what happened on Facebook, with some unwitting influencers commenting on the "high-quality material" of the "elegant, sophisticated" bargain shoes.